Monday, 13 June 2016

It's Royal Repeats & Wedding Earrings for (a Very Rainy) Garter Day

The Duchess of Cambridge joined other members of the Royal family for the annual Order of the Garter ceremonies at Windsor Castle today.

The Duchess arriving.

Kate waved to the crowds.

The Duchess of Cambridge with the Duchess of Cornwall (who was wearing the coat she wore to William and Kate's wedding).

Unfortunately, our 'British summertime' weather altered today's order of proceedings. Due to persistent rain, carriages and the procession were cancelled. Rebecca English reports "The full garter procession hasn't been rained off at Windsor since 1971, apparently". The crowds still turned out in force.

Prince Charles and Prince William.

Royal knights and ladies include the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, the Earl of Wessex and Prince William. The Duke and Duchess.

Kate and Camilla curtsy to The Queen.

The annual Order of the Garter ceremonies mark a special day on the royal calendar. Each June, the Knights of the Garter gather at Windsor Castle where new knights take the oath and are invested with the insignia. A lunch is given in the Waterloo Chamber, after which the Knights proceed to a service in St George's Chapel.

There are oodles of interesting information surrounding the Order including: the Order's motto is 'Honi soit qui mal y pense' which translates to 'Shame on him who thinks evil of it'.The patron saint of the Order is St George (patron saint of soldiers and also of England) and the spiritual home of the Order is St George's Chapel, Windsor.

The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348 by Edward III, is the highest order of chivalry existing in England. St George is the patron saint of the ceremony. The Queen appoints the Knights of the Garter without advice from ministers. Prince William was the 1000th Knight on the register when he joined the Order in 2008.

The Order's members must wear vestments for ceremonial occasions. Members have worn the blue velvet robe since the 16th century. The heraldic shield of St George is sewn onto the left shoulder of the robe. The hat is a Tudor bonnet of black velvet with a plume of white ostrich and black heron feathers.

The insignia of a knight of the Order of the Garter.

The Queen appoints knights and ladies entirely at her own discretion without advice from aides or ministers. There can only twenty-four knights plus the Monarch and Prince of Wales at any one time. In 1987 Her Majesty decided that women should be eligible for the Garter in the same way as men. Ladies of the Garter include Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

It's Kate's fifth appearance at the event. She memorably made her debut in 2008 (the year William was installed as a knight) wearing her black pin dot suit and a Philip Treacy hat. I recall royal commentators thought it unusual for a girlfriend to be in attendance - and it prompted many a rumour an engagement was imminent at the time. Since the wedding: Kate attended in Katherine Hooker in 2011. In 2012 she repeated a favourite McQueen Coatdress, and in 2014 it was Christopher Kane. The Duchess missed 2013 and 2015 as she was on maternity leave.

The Duchess first wore it in 2011 as she and William departed from Canada after their very successful debut tour.

The lightweight wool garment features three-quarter length sleeves, princess seaming, and Kate's favoured fit-and-flare style. It was one of my favourite looks from Canada, and it was great to see it again.

Kate chose the red Lock & Co. hat and McQueen red bow clutch from the Jubilee River Pageant in 2012.

A closer look at the hat on Kate today.

Kate's worn several lovely updos in the last week. Today's was especially chic and an ideal choice to show off the hat and earrings.

The surprise of the day came in the form of Kate's choice of earrings. The Duchess selected the Robinson Pelham pair from her wedding.

Michael and Carole Middleton had matching earrings commissioned from London jewellers Robinson Pelham as a wedding gift. Their design is derived from the acorn and oak leaves which form part of the Middleton family coat of arms, and they perfectly complement the 'Halo' tiara, echoing the scroll elements in the design. The £15 K earrings are made of 18 karat white gold and diamonds in the form of a curled diamond set oak leaf top and a pear-shaped diamond set drop with a central articulated pave set diamond acorn.

Robinson Pelham

I thought there was a good chance we might see them again, if Kate wore the Cartier Halo tiara from her wedding again, however, it was totally unexpected to see them today.

The Duchess wore her Art Deco bracelet composed of flower clusters alternating with baguette diamonds. It is believed to be part of a wedding gift from Prince Charles.

It turns out we'll be seeing Kate a lot sooner than expected. It was just announced, The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge will attend Secretary of State for Northern Ireland's garden party at Hillsborough Castle tomorrow. It will be their first visit to NI since their pre-engagement visit.

164 comments:

So much red! But I like it!I think the surprises Rebecca may be referring to could be the EACH gala because it hasn't officially been confirmed. Or maybe she know that Kate Charlotte and George will be at the Father's Day polo match?I'm dying to find out!

Too bad about the weather, especially for those who had tickets and were waiting to see them. But thats one aspect not even a royal can control! Glad we got some pictures at least :)

On the clothes, great to see Kate in a bit of colour at this event :) I know they usually try to blend into the background but this year both Kate and Sophie seem to have choosen less subdued looks :)

What a great group of repeats for Kate! Stunning! And finally her pretty wedding earrings! I was afraid they would be a one off! So pretty! I'm really, really fond of this whole look!!! And the pieces themselves to be fair. A really nicely combined group of repeats. She has done very well these last days in pairing some wardrobe pieces around with some new pieces. Really spot on look today with all accessories and such feeling pulled together! Very, very nice and she truly looks like a princess!

I love this! I especially love how she wore red shoes to match(instead of her usual nude) the red shoes really complete it for me, I wish her hair was down with hats like this that are so close to the head/side of the face. I love red, it's bright and bold! For some reason her hat, the side with the flowers looks busy for me, not sure why as I like details underneath a tilted hat instead of left empty, maybe because red is so bold? Lol. Anyway all in all I really love this look. I also hope people who were giving princess eugine a hard time for wearing her red dress for "stealing the attention" from her gramma, realize that wasn't the intention, or at least don't show so much favouritism towards Kate. Both ladies looked nice in red :)

I had no problems with Eugenie's red dress on Friday. It was well styled and neat and I think more were concerned about Beatrice's dress. However, to suggest Kate would be "stealing the attention" from the Queen today because she wore the beautiful dress would be off base as well. The Queen closely matched at least 24 other people. I agree Eugenie looked nice over the weekend.

Two entirely different occasions, plus I don't think any of them were positionedclose to the Queen. Traditionally, the Queen is in the parade and Catherineobserving from a balcony with the other spouses. The parade turned into a motorcade and Catherine and the Queen were, for the most part, completely separated.It is a moot point anyway, as the Queen was in the Garter robes.Hard to upstage that.In fact, when it comes to events shared with HM, today was probably the perfect occasion to bring out the red duds.

I believe some were concerned that Eugenie's dress also was very tight in the bust area and had cutouts-more suitable for dinner and drinks with a boyfriend.

No "favouritism" involved. Since you brought the subject up...I thought we had dropped this subject, given the complete turn around theYork sisters made the last two days. Bea's tangerine hat was a bit startling andattention-getting- but whimsical, too.

I love her look today! Red is always incredible on Kate and is a nice change from the light colors we've seen at the past few engagements. The cut is flattering--and how nice to see the wedding earrings make an appearance! I'll be honest and say that I feel the Duchess has chosen a few more matronly looks over the past year or so that I haven't really liked, but lately -- in India and especially this week--her sartorial choices have been pretty on point! I loved how Kate would chic hats with her hair down in 2011 and 2012 (much darker and longer then), but it's really nice to see her experiment with some more updo's--they're chic and add a nice touch to the overall look, I think. Can't wait to see more photos and to find out what these "royal surprises" turn out to be!

Kate looks so beautiful today. I love everything, the great color of the coat dress, the hat, shoes and jewelry. Her hair, and makeup were perfect. She is absolutely adorable and what an asset to the Royal Family. What a shame about the weather though. Missed seeing HM and Prince Philip, couldn't really get a good look at them in the car. Great post Charlotte, as always.

Oh I love that she wore her wedding earrings! I love those earrings. I love that they symbolize her family's heritage. Oaks are my favorite tree and we have many where I live, so it could be what I like about them too.

I also love the oak and acorn earrings, and I am so glad to see them again. But I am wondering why Kate has worn the pendant several times without its matching earrings. I think the design represents family to her. She also tends to settle on a necklace and wear it constantly. That is less surprising to me than the missing earrings.

Ooops, I missed the fact that Kate wore the matching earrings yesterday, even though Charlotte plainly showed them! Glad to know nothing has happened to them and Kate is just switching things around. :-)

Kate looked lovely today. I really love the red shoes. As for Sophie, once again I cringed when I saw her. She really needs to lose the voluminous skirts she has been sporting lately. In her efforts to look edgy, I think she simply looks silly. She is a beautiful, lovely lady and should stick to tailored classics. These up/down hems and frilly skirts just don't do a thing for her. In my view.

Nicely done Kate.

BTW, my thanks to you as well Charlotte for your tireless devotion to ensuring that we get your posts quick off the mark. I can't even imagine how much of your time this blog must take. Clearly it is a mission of love for you and all of us are the benefactors. Thank you.

a very nice look for DoC today. I agree Charlotte that I also really liked this dress when she wore it in Canada. It was a nice surprise to see it again. That was the first of 3 nice surprises she gave me today.

1- a repeat outfit not seen in many years2 - red suede shoes, WOW, not nude but red!3 - wedding earrings

Glad that there were good pictures despite the rainy conditions and cancelled procession. I really liked all the pieces together and it was a nice mix. She looks beautiful in red.

Thanks for the outstanding work this weekend to keep us all up to date. You did a great job as usual. Looking forward to more surprises and hope that the EACH gala rumor proves to be true.

I shudder to think what the comments are going to say about this - this has the potential to be a VERY divisive look, I think. Too much red? Something should have been contrasted? Each piece is gorgeous but I think something to break up the red would have been good here...it's like she saw the shoes and said, "I need those in my life, now what can I wear with them??" LOVE that we get to see the earrings and the hair looks fab!

I also think it must have great sentimental value but I also know that it is such a beautiful necklace as I own the same one. It has such a beautiful design and sparkles so much, you really need to see it in real life to fully appreciate it. I love my Empress necklace and it holds great sentimental value to me also. So I'm glad that she wears hers so often.

Red shoes!!! Something tells me Kate organizes her closet by color. She has vast sections of beige and black shoes. And now this awesome pair of red shoes, hanging out all by themselves in her massive shoe closet.

Wow! I'm so surprised she pulled this ensemble out of her closet. But also glad that she did. Like Charlotte I liked this look when she departed Canada and with the hat it's really quite lovely. I agree Rebecca, she truly looks like a princess with the stunning wedding earrings and the diamond bracelet. And Sophie's dress is quite stunning as well.

If they are Gianvito Rossi pumps - how many colors does she now have? Black, navy, rose, nude, red and ? I've never tried a pair on but I'm starting to wonder if they are super comfortable.

She looks fantastic, but I think all the red is a bit much. To pick up on comments from the previous post, a proper stylist could help here, showing her how to add in complementary colours and even patterns. Solid red everything is a bit jarring. And sorry, but tired of the pendant! It's been a bit out of place, except for the Trooping outfit maybe.

This is another hit out of the park IMHO. The Duchess looks just as beautiful in this bright red as in the cream and pink she wore at the Trooping of the Colours (although I think the latter has been one of my top favourite looks so far). I wonder if the red was chosen because it picks up the red in the Garter insignia. I think it‘s really true that no one does pageantry better than the British! Too bad the procession was cancelled, but you still have brought us great coverage, Charlotte. Like some others, I too wish to thank you for the links to the videos you’ve provided over the past week – I’ve been having a lovely time watching them while having endless cups of tea! Am very much looking forward to the ‘surprises’ there may be in store this week!

She looks fantastic, I love seeing her in a bright colour! (Although it does bother me slightly that her shoes aren't an exact colour match.) I like seeing her in her wedding earrings too - it suprises me she doesn't wear them pubicly more often.

Thanks for the speedy post. It's unfortunate the parade was cancelled, but Kate looked great. In terms of Rebecca English's hint- I know that the press has expressed frustration with KP about not getting a heads up about events. It seems maybe the fact that Rebecca knows about the "surprises" in store for the rest of us means that KP is trying to rebuild some of those bridges? I do think that some members of the press are unfairly negative about KP, but the press plays a key role with the monarchy and KP could have handled some things better in the past. Hope this indicates those relationships are being mended!

Gorgeous red shoes! I don't even care that they are suade. Yay for the acorn earrings! Actually. I thought we would never see them again. She looks fantastic. Lovely shade of red. Two quibbles: the suntan shade stockings aren't so great. Camilla seems to be wearing the same tone. Hmmmmm. Also, again, the Mappin and Webb necklace is overkill imo. The earrings are a statement in and of themselves. No necklace is necessary and its presence is detracting from the breathtaking acorns. Still, she is beautiful.

People fuss if she wears pale shades, people fuss if she wears bright shades. All I can say is--you go Kate! You brightened up a rainy day. Love, love the hat again. And re the Empress pendant--I have some favorite pendants that I wear even with my t-shirt and jeans. Because they mean something to me. She is dressing to suit herself in an appropriate way. Still everyone has the right to gripe if they want to. For me, I am just so pleased to see happy news.

Kate looks great although I'm surprised at her matchy-matchy ensemble. It's too Diana imo (all that's missing are the red tights, if anyone remembers that photo of Diana coming out of a helicopter decked out in red from head to toe). I was hoping to see the red shoes and wedding earrings again and here they are!

LOVED everything about it. So surprised and happy she is wearing her wedding earrings. Loved the hat, the earrings, this updo, the dress, the shoes, the bracelet, and the necklace. Beautiful brightness amidst a rainy day.

Love this look and I'm fine with all red...our girl is looking more like a princess all the time! SO happy to see her wearing that gorgeous bracelet - the more jewels the better in my book. Kind of funny about the pendant...maybe the clasp is stuck haha

Thank you Charlotte for all your superb posts recently, you maintain such a level of excellence! It's been great to see a fuller schedule for William and Kate these past months, and to see them attend more high profile, traditional events.

I personally don't care if they attend Royal Ascot or not, I doubt many members of the public are bothered by it either. That's just my take on it, I know others may feel very differently! However, it might be a smart move for them to attend, given the significance of this year for the Queen, and since they're on such a nice roll right now. Frankly, I would tell them to be front and center at every prominent event before the summer drought sets in! And then I hope they kick off September with a stop at the Braemar Gathering :)

This is one of my favorite hats and one of my favorite outfits!!! Love seeing Canada repeats :) I was wondering if Kate would ever wear red shoes again! Wonder what happened to her Canada pair? This has been a great five days :)

Love, love, love the outfit. For some reason, in red, it doesn't feel so matchy matchy. Maybe because it's so bright a color, I'm not sure. I love that she is embracing the bling with the bracelet and the wedding earrings (I never thought we'd see these either for sentimental purposes) for a day event. I am even surprised with the red suede shoes. I hope she wears them with a non-red outfit in the future to really provide pop to an ensemble.

And now, I have an etiquette question: I noticed in the picture that Kate is curtsying one way and Camilla the other way. I thought a proper curtsy was always with the same leg (I can't remember which one) behind you. Does anyone know the rules? They must have gone lax on this in later years as I would think these ladies of anyone would know the proper way, right? But I was still curious...

Hi Lynn, Debrett’s etiquette advisor, Jo Bryant advises anyone who meets a royal to “Put your right foot behind your left foot. Briefly bend the knees with one foot forward keeping the upper body straight. Repeat when the member of the Royal family leaves.” But unless my eyes are deceiving me when I look at the photos on this website, it seems that Kate and Beatrice do it the other way. Maybe it doesn't matter anymore! http://theroyalpost.com/2015/05/16/some-royal-curtsy-etiquette/

Growing up, I was always taught that the right leg goes behind. But, later on I was told that if you favor your left (as in left handed) you can put your left leg back. The real issue is stability. You do what comes most naturally. Falling would be a greater faux pas. From perusing photos of Catherine, think she generally puts her left leg back. If it were some hideous breach of protocol, I sure she would have been asked to correct it.

This was exactly my question (after admiring the outfit). Thank you leahmaria, for the information. Does anyone know if Kate is right handed or left handed? Does that make a difference in how one would curtsy? And if it does, is Beatrice left handed? Or are the two being very subtle rebels?!

I think Kate radiantly brightened up a dreary day at Windsor castle today just the way she did when she appeared on the horizon dressed in red for William's graduation from Sandhurst. A member of the media said of that day that they were all freezing in the cold weather and then came Kate on the horizon walking with her parents, dressed in red, and looking so pretty and gracious that he said it gave them a real boost that day.

Kate has always shown up brightening peoples' days with her grace and radiance. She has never been without that. A true blessing to everyone wherever she is.

I just love this coat dress, loved it the first time she wore it, but to me maybe because of the shoes, the outfit looks better this time. One question though, does Harry not go to the Order of the Garter? I know he went when William was installed as a Knight, but I don't think he has been since. Will Harry not be installed since he will not be King? I think many will agree that Harry would look very handsome as Knight.

There can only be 24 Knights, 2 new ones have just been installed although I believe that at present there is one free slot. However the Order is in the personal gift of the Queen. You can read all about it on wiki.

Wow, that's something that gets announced at the last minute for security reasons. What a busy June they are having! I wonder what the next outfit will be. :-) May they have a lovely and very safe day.

Fantastic! Thanks for the update Charlotte! I checked the blog one more time this evening - given your 'hint' earlier. And then also July 1st. This is almost as fun as a Royal Tour. It's my favorite work distraction. :-)

I really like the Duchess appearance today. Something in the red she wears from head to toe oozes confidense. Compared to her pre-marriage look in this excact engagement from a few years ago, it is striking to see her evolution. This is obviously not surprising considering all the experiences she had had during the past years, but nevertheless so nice to see. She does look so beautiful and so well put together and I find that inspiring. Shira, Israel

Shira, we will be visiting Jerusalem in the near future. What are, in your opinion, the best hotels there, if you don't mind my asking. We won't have small children with us so pools, etc. are not a priority. Price also, thank heaven, is not a consideration either. We just want to have a perfect (much deserved) visit to Jerusalem, a city we have longed to visit for years. Hope you don't mind my asking. Any restaurant suggestions would be awesome also.

My favorite daytime red outfit on Kate is the one in which she arrived in New Zealand (in spite of the wind effects). But this one is also very nice, and I like seeing her re-use perfectly lovely outfits that are still totally appropriate. The new red shoes are so much better than nude, and much more exciting than black would be. As someone said the hat is a bit busy, but it's the only thing in the outfit that is especially ornate, so I like it. I wonder why she is just now wearing those earrings again! With the bracelet, the red coat dress from 2011, and Camilla's from the W&K wedding, there is the suggestion of honoring their fifth anniversary.

For those who would like a different hair style for events such as yesterday's, note the one from Canada. Kate looked lovely, though the wind tousled her hair. I love the different updos Kate has worn recently. Someone is having fun with them, and even with the back of Kate's downdo yesterday.

I was surprised to see the Duchess of Gloucester again wearing the grey outfit and hat she had on at the cathedral. She wore black or deep navy on the balcony - could there have been a recent death in her family? But she had on a summery floral for the patron's lunch. She is almost always very elegant.

I love the red New Zealand outfit as an all time favorite also. I also like the red one she wore today.Upon reflection, Kate has worn so many outfits over the years. When you think of all of them all put together, she really must have quite a large wardrobe, even with all the considerate repeats she wears. As she gets even busier, she will need a "dresser" to keep record of all her outfits and where and when she wore them. And to keep everything perfect, clean and ready to go. She may already have one, hopefully. (No offense, I hope it isn't Natasha Archer. Keep her away from Kate's wardrobe, styling, etc. Let her do other helpful things.)

I have been thinking that someone recently went through Kate's clothing, probably photographed and archived her outfits, and made it easier to select appropriate pieces. This would have been a great help in preparing for all the dressing Kate has needed to do over the past several days, with Ascot yet to come. Probably her wardrobe is now even more organized than the very organized Duchess had left it, and she will very much enjoy it. Just guessing of course, but bringing back outfits from years ago hints at a thorough survey. This might have been done while she was preparing first for India and then for a busy June, and it could have occupied some of the at home time in January.

I absolutely LOVE this look from top to toe. The Duchess is looking so put together, really a smashing success. 👍🏻 Most of all I adore these shoes. I could look at them all day. And the hat with the up-do is really sooooo elegant. WAY TO GO!!!It has been so much fun watching Kate this week.

OMG stunning! I want those red shoes right now & I'll scratch anyone's eyes out who begins whining about the fact they're suede. :-D And the beautiful hat looks so new again with her hairstyle. To have regular occasion to wear these amazing hats must be so much fun.

I concur!! This look is an absolute winner! And the wedding earrings were a huge surprise! Im really impressed by Kate's choices and the royal elegance with which she carries herself, thank you Charlotte!XOXO

I agree! She does look like a Queen today! :) This all-red ensemble is a complete knock-out. Her style has refined in the last year, and even more in the last few months - a slimmer, higher heel, more up-do's, more "bling", and a whip-thin figure and face. Plus her natural poise and inner light just radiate. I've never seen a more beautiful royal. (and I don't mind at all that her heels are suede! They look perfect with this outfit, as did her new blush suede pumps. So gorgeous, so lady-like!) :)

I too felt that Kate looked stunning today, very regal, a mature woman who has grown into her position and is taking her place as a true Royal. But I hesitate to say she looks like a queen. Exactly what queen does she look like? If we are comparing her to Queen Elizabeth, today she certainly does look like the queens uniform, in a bright monotone dress and matching coat and hat. Albeit in a more modern and form fitting style. Is Elizabeth's style written in stone that this is the way a queen is supposed to look?. Apparently Camilla is following close in those footsteps. But I hope that Kate doesn't end up that way. I hope she creates her own version of what is "queenly".

Very well, thank you Anon.15:01! I organized some lessons on a very interesting topic, the Picturesque in painting and in gardening. It's such a British subject, in Italy we don't know so much about it, instead it's full of surprising things, like the Claude Glass, the Ha-ha's, and so on. Very fun and enriching.

You can find everything on wikipedia; "A Claude glass (or black mirror) is a small mirror, slightly convex in shape, with its surface tinted a dark colour. Bound up like a pocket-book or in a carrying case, Claude glasses were used by artists, travelers and connoisseurs of landscape and landscape painting. Claude glasses have the effect of abstracting the subject reflected in it from its surroundings, reducing and simplifying the colour and tonal range of scenes and scenery to give them a painterly quality". "A ha-ha is a recessed landscape design element that creates a vertical barrier while preserving an uninterrupted view of the landscape beyond.The design includes a turfed incline which slopes downward to a sharply vertical face, typically a masonry retaining wall. Ha-has are used in landscape design to prevent access to a garden, for example by grazing livestock, without obstructing views".

What a GORGEOUS outfit! I've always loved that red coat on her, and that fascinator/entire River Jubilee outfit is on my list top 10 Kate moments:) The only thing I didn't love was the red shoes. I think that was a bit too much red, and they didn't really match. I think nude shoes would have been a nit better. Love how many updos she is doing lately! Really adds to the fascinator.

Do we have any guesses as to why the wedding earrings today? And SO interesting Camilla repeated the outfit from that day as well- I wonder if they had a chuckle about that.

Unrelated question: is Kate spending less time with her parents these days? I feel like we haven't seen them around in a while. I always enjoyed the strong bond they seemed to have, with visits back and forth to Bucklebury and Anmer Hall.

Ascot would definitely make a statement. By virtue of the invitation they would sit in the Royal box. That would be so lovely. That would stop any rumors of the wrong kind. Phillip and Carole could have a Jolly old time. And Michael would no doubt be smiling from ear to ear the whole time from being in the presence of the Queen he so obviously adores. The Queen is 90. I hope that happens.

I don't normally care for Kate's monochrome looks, but with the red today I think it worked. The hat with that hair-do is what sets this look apart. I think she looked the best today and red really is her color.

Kate looks gorgeous in red! I love the ensemble from head to toe! I absolutely LOVED her hair today. The updo was classy and beautiful. The earrings....we got to see the earrings again! She looked FABULOUS today!

Kate looks elegant! In America it is very very uncommon to wear suede shoes in spring or summer seasons. No criticism intended. I am so happy and appreciative to have the forum to chat and support Kate. Can not wait until tomorrow!

I thought suede shoes were a strange choice for spring/summer too - but they are gorgeous! I am not a fan of red on red on red but she looks great. Her hair has been really nice all weekend too - she should wear it up much more. So elegant and less distracting.

I swear that when I first saw the photo ...I heard angels singing. RED SHOES! Not nude...not beige...RED! Love love love them.

You see...I simply adore Kate and think she rarely puts a foot wrong with her satorical choices. But I am a shoe lover and have had to resign myself to the fact...that Kate is more practical than fashionable when it comes to choosing her footwear. So today is just fantastic. Made my week. No matter what she wears tomorrow

Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were made Knights of the Garter a few years ago, joining Prince Charles and Princess Anne. The Queen, her husband, her four children, her oldest grandson and heir to the heir, and three of her royal first cousins all are KG. Prince Harry probably will be in time.

hmm the duchess looks good in head to toe I really love these outfit and nude red shoes loving the earrings from her wedding day a symbol of her heritage her family looking forward to her engagement tomorrow

i love all the bright red today i also like how she is dressing younger this week maybe she took over what she wears. i'm so happy to see the wedding earings again and the bracelet is beautiful i'm sure she has alot of pretty jewels i just don't understand why she dosen't wear them. i know prince charles has given her some beautifull pieces. she wore red shoes i jumped for joy. she needed a different color i'm still suprised at the seude if you look at other royels in other countries they wear cute sandles pretty colors and many different styles oh well it's just me.

Wowser - simply stunning. The hair looks amazing with this hat and such a great vibrant colour on her - probably wearing this bold red today as she knows that she doesnt have to compete or worry about overshadowing the Queen. I'm also impressed she's starting to embrace the bling more, the necklace and the bracelet are obviously sentimental and special to her - but to also wear with her wedding earings makes it even more special. I'm sure she's probably worn these before but in private dinners/Christmas with Queen etc... - as with the tiara situation, she'll get used to wearing them at low profile/private events before wearing at high profile? When you think how much jewellery she has worn only once, and she seems a "less is more" girl, its great to see a number of pieces in the daytime. Surprises galore this week and a good trip first trip to ireland today, I'm hoping she doesnt do a green theme which would be so expected. Others surprises - I hope to see them at Ascot at some point, picking up the reigns (excuse the pun) and picking up the traditional aspect here especially with the Queens 90th.

If I wore all that red it would just overwhelm me but Kate looks magnificent in it. She should wear red a whole lot more, because it really lifts her. So nice to see shoes other than nude, too. Great look overall.

On another note, the motto of the Garter is often mistranslated. It should read: "Let evil be to him who evil thinks." In other words, if you think bad thoughts, karma will get ya buddy.

"Shame on him who thinks evil of it" doesn't really make sense when you try to work it out.

On Wikipedia I found this explanation: "when King Edward III was dancing with Joan of Kent, his first cousin and daughter-in-law, her garter slipped down to her ankle causing those around her to snigger at her humiliation. In an act of chivalry Edward placed the garter around his own leg saying, "Honi soit qui mal y pense. Tel qui s'en rit aujourd'hui, s'honorera de la porter." (Shame on him who thinks bad thoughts. Who's laughing today, in the future will be proud wearing it).

Gosh!! I know I repeat what has already been said 100s of times (literally! :-)))) ) but this "Lady in red" thing is too gorgeous not to comment on it! The shoes are DIVINE!! Suede can be a tricky thing to match with clothes fabric but this colour and design - LOVED it!! The hat was a perfect match plus all the jewellry - great, great, great!And THANK YOU, Charlotte, for once again keeping us so well updated over this long weekend of celebrations!! YOU ROCK!!

I have a kind of random question. I have noticed a similar pattern when they go back and forth between houses like the past couple of days Kate has been wearing the same necklace (or items). Living out of two separate homes probably makes it difficult to have what you need in the location that you need it in. Does she house all her jewelry or clothes at KP and just bring what she needs to Amner or vice versus? Or does she travel with everything. I was thinking that she housed most of her stuff at KP, but then when she rewears the same thing a couple days in a row maybe she didn't bring as many options with her......I was just wondering if you knew the process as to how she splits up her items between multiple homes. I can't imagine being in one place and it rains and thinking uggg my wellies (or other item) are at the other home LOL

Kate has officially met the leaders of France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Bhutan, Canada, China, Sweden, Samoa, and some other countries I don't recall at the moment, and she has hosted the President and First Lady of The United States of America for dinner in her home. No wonder she is starting to look like a queen. That has had to have had an amazing impact on her. She has gained the regal experience to help shape her into her future role. Queenship becomes her.

When I saw her in red I almost gasp for the beauty of the whole look. She looks sensational in red & should wear it more often. Lovely with her hair which by the way looks amazing too! Loved the gold coat with the sassy rose hat! Another winner!

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